The End Of The Third Age
by Marblez
Summary: Sequel to 'Helm's deep'. Aaron's POV again. The battle of the Pelennor fields and after.


Disclamer: This is a sequel to 'Helm's Deep', follows from Aaron's point of view again.  
  
The End Of The Third Age  
  
"Hail the victorious dead" Theodin said loudly raising his mug.  
"Hail!" everyone shouted, including Aaron who was drinking his first ale. He smiled as he watched the elf sip his slowly while everyone else drank pint after pint. Personally he didn't see the greatness of the stuff, it wasn't really that nice. He laughed as he caught sight of the two, what did they call them, oh Hobbit's dancing on the table. Someone shoved past him and ale splashed onto his arm. He looked up ready to shout angrily into the face of Éomer, Lord of Rohan. The angry words died on his lips.  
"Sorry my lord" he mumbled instead, moving to go.  
"Wait, how old are you boy?" Éomer asked.  
"14 and a half my lord" Aaron said respectfully.  
"And you fought at helm's deep?" Éomer asked. Aaron nodded. "What do you plan on being when you're older?"  
"I was supposed to be a farmer my lord, but I think I would like to be a rider of Rohan" Aaron said truthfully. Éomer nodded and finally moved on, leaving Aaron alone. Aaron sighed in relief and looked at his sleeve. It was dripping wet so he placed his mug on a table and went outside to go down to the house he was staying in to dry it off and change his shirt. Outside he saw the elf, Legolas, looking a little ill and pulling his cloak on. He smiled remembering the look on Legolas' face when he first drank the ale and started running down the steps. Aaron opened the door and ran to his designated bed. They'd given him a nicer shirt which was the one he was wearing so he found his old one, ripped and dirty and changed into it.  
When he arrived back at the party some people had left and servant's were cleaning up slowly, around the still drunk people. Aaron righted a fallen chair for one of the servant's who smiled at him gratefully. He looked around him and saw everyone going to their beds, except for Lord Aragorn who walked outside. Aaron wished he was like Aragorn, tall, brave, and handsome. But he wasn't. He was small, skinny and in his personal opinion ugly. Nearly everyone had gone now except for Aaron and the other's tidying up when suddenly Aragorn and Legolas burst into the room and ran to another. Aaron could hear a loud commotion from inside and went to take a look.  
Pippin, the smaller of the 2 Hobbit's was lying on the floor, still as stone. The other, Merry, was kneeling worriedly by him. The wizard, Gandalf was talking to him. Aragorn was lying weakly in Legolas's arms, his eyes looking dazed. Legolas turned to him.  
"Fetch some water boy" the elf ordered and Aaron sped off, returning with a flask of water which Legolas gave to Aragorn and the hand to Gandalf who gave some to the now alive looking Pippin.  
"Get back to sleep everyone, you will need your strength soon enough" Gandalf said loudly, lifting Pippin and laying him on his bed. Aaron left the room quickly before running down to his 'home', many thought's going through his head about what had just happened.  
  
Aaron was sat, looking after his brothers when Gandalf and the 2 Hobbit's ran past him on the way to the stables. As Aaron watched he did not notice that Tobi had slipped out of his arms and was running across the road. It all happened in a flash, Gandalf riding out at an unimaginable speed heading strait for Tobi, Aaron shouting and somebody diving infront of the horse pulling Tobi out of the road. Aaron jumped up and ran over to the person holding the little boy who was now wailing. It was Legolas, the elf.  
"Thank you" Aaron said, taking Tobi from him and holding him close. Tobi wailed loudly, gaining Aaron's mother's attention. She ran out and took the boy from Aaron.  
"What did you do?" she asked angrily, ignoring Legolas.  
"Tobi wandered infront of a charging horse mother, I didn't notice but..." Aaron said.  
"You didn't notice! My baby could have been killed and you didn't notice!" his mother shouted. Aaron looked at the ground sadly, only then realising the elf was still there.  
"My Lord, thank you for saving my brother" Aaron said quietly, looking up into the concerned face of the elf. His mother's expression changed immediately.  
"You saved him? Thank you my lord, if there is anything we can do to repay you" his mother said. Legolas shook his head and turned to go. "Now you my boy are going to clean every inch of our room until it shines! Your carelessness could have gotten your brother killed" she snapped angrily, pushing Aaron inside.  
  
It had been 2 days since the horse incident and Aaron was still in his mother's bad books. He had started to hang around the Rider's of Rohan, watching what they did, how they dressed and so on. After a while they had started to notice him too and had started giving him little jobs to do like sharpening swords or polishing leather. Aaron was sharpening away on a sword, shivering slightly from the cold when a thick cloak was draped around his shoulders. He looked up into the face of Éomer, who was smiling.  
  
"I have been told you have been helping my men" Éomer said, sitting by Aaron.  
"I do what I can my lord" Aaron said respectfully. Éomer nodded.  
"Men join my company as young as 16, but never before have any of them had your spirit. It is not everyone who will sharpen swords or polish leather, most avoid it as much as possible" Éomer said.  
"I was brought up to do what other's do not want to my lord" Aaron said simply. Éomer looked at him just as Aaron's mother came to find him. She glared at him and pulled the sword out of his hands.  
"You have chores to do at home young man, not here" she said angrily, pulling him up so sharply that the cloak fell off his shoulders. "When are you going to learn that you will never be a warrior, you are a farmers son and a farmer you shall be" she said as she pulled him off.  
"But mother, I want to join the riders like father did, why wont you let me?" Aaron asked. Éomer followed them to listen in on the conversation.  
  
"Because I do not want to loose you! Aaron you don't get it do you? Half of those men will die before this war is over, possibly even more and I will not allow you to be one of them. Not after we lost your father at Helm's Deep" his mother said, her tone changing from sharp and angry to sad.  
"I'm not my father! My father was a farmer by trade and a farmer by heart, he couldn't weald a sword if his life depended on it...which by some chance it did! I can fight and if they need me I will go!" Aaron said angrily, pulling out of his mother's grip and storming inside their home. His mother followed him.  
"He'll make a great warrior one day" Éomer said to himself as he turned to go back to the stables.  
  
A bell was ringing somewhere and Aaron looked up, noticing all the men rushing to horses. Aaron jumped up and ran to the stable armoury. He found men pulling on armour there.  
"What are you doing here? Go back to your mother" one said to him, recognising him.  
"I want to fight" Aaron said.  
"Your too young" another said.  
"I will come with or without armour" Aaron snapped. The men sighed and allowed him to get some of the smaller pieces of armour. He then found a sword and spear and went to find a spare horse.  
"I pity that boy's mother" one man said as they watched him walk away. Aaron pulled himself up onto one of the horses and pulled on the helmet he had picked up. It was slightly too big but that didn't matter. Aaron saw Lord Eomer giving a small speech but could not hear what he said so he just moved off with the other riders.  
  
"Aaron? Aaron!" his mother called hurriedly, searching for her son. A horrible thought came to her mind as she looked at the riders galloping away, especially when she saw a smaller rider than all the others riding alongside the Hobbit Merry. "No! Aaron!" she screamed, falling to her knees in despair. "Aaron" she whispered.  
  
They arrived at the camp in good time and set up their tents. While the other men chattered Aaron sat by the fire and sharpened his sword, his helmet still on so that no one would realise his age. A man sat next to him to sharpen his own sword.  
"What's your name?" the man asked.  
"Aaron" Aaron said quietly.  
"I knew it" the man said, pulling off Aaron's helmet. "Nothing more than a boy" the soldier said.  
"How?" Aaron asked.  
"You were allot smaller than the other men of your group and you helmet was too big. Your voice only confirmed it. How old are you boy?" the man asked.  
"14" Aaron said, looking at the man who was smiling cockily. The mans smile faded. He jumped up suddenly and pulled Aaron up with him. He then pulled him over to a guard at the base of a long path up the cliff.  
"I need to see the King, it is urgent" the man said. The guard nodded and let them pass. It took 10 minutes power walking to reach the top and when they did Aaron was extremely nervous. Another guard stopped them. "I need to speak with the King" the man said. The guard looked at Aaron and hurried off.  
"He will see you now" the guard said when he returned. The man pulled Aaron into the King's tent and found the King, Éomer and Aragorn waiting for them.  
"What is it that is so urgent?" Theodin asked.  
"This" the man said pushing Aaron forewords. "He snuck away with you to fight, he's only 14" the man said. Aaron cringed as everyone stared at him. Aragorn looked at him questioningly while the King and Eomer stared.  
"What do you have to say for yourself lad. Letting boys fight at Helm's Deep was one thing, but this battle is for trained soldiers. Explain yourself" the King ordered.  
"I fought for my village and I fought at Helm's Deep. I just want to help" Aaron said. "I know I shouldn't really be here and I was hoping no one would notice me. I just want to help, I just want to help" Aaron mumbled. All the adults stared at him.  
"Then you shall..." Éomer said. Éowyn stormed in.  
"You would let this boy fight but you would not let Merry, an adult among his people fight!" she shouted, obviously having been eavesdropping.  
"I was going to say dear sister that he will have to wait a few years" Éomer said. Éowyn looked embarrassed.  
"But..." Aaron protested.  
"You are too young!" Éomer snapped. Aaron looked at the ground and shifted his feet.  
"I just want to fight. You said it yourself that you need every man you can muster" Aaron said. Aragorn walked up to him and tilted his head up.  
"I recognise your face" Aragorn said quietly.  
"I was there when your elvish friend died my Lord, you told me it wasn't my fault" Aaron said sadly. Aragorn remembered obviously as he stood up straighter.  
"You fought well that day" Aragorn murmured.  
"Thank you my lord" Aaron said. The men looked at each other, then at Aaron and then at Éowyn. The man who had brought him here put a hand firmly on his shoulder.  
"You speak truthfully when you say we need every man we can find, so we shall let you fight if you so wish. It is at your own risk but you shall fight" Theodin said to him. Aaron smiled pleased.  
"Thank you my lord!" he said respectively. Éomer looked angry and left the tent grumbling about him being too young. Éowyn looked at him sadly before leaving. The man who had brought him pulled him out of the tent and back to camp where he found his things once again.  
  
"Have you heard?" "Lord Aragorn has left." "What are we going to do?" the rumours were spreading through the men like a disease, causing fear and worry in their hearts. Aaron felt sick. Aragorn had abandoned them, he'd left them to die. The order for them to prepare to move was given so the camp was quickly packed away and everyone jumped onto their horses. Aaron sat patiently, waiting for the order to move, his stomach in knots. He'd volunteered for this, he'd said he would fight. But that was before Aragorn had left, now he was afraid.  
"Ride out!" the horses started forewords at an alarming pace and Aaron's joined them. They galloped non-stop for a day and when they finally reached Minus Tirith the sight that lay before them brought Aaron's heart to his throat. Thousands, no millions of orcs were waiting for them. They lined up, ready for a charge and the King made a brave speech. Aaron took a deep breath and readied his spear. The charge call was given on the horn's and they began.  
He shouted angrily as they reached the orcs. They were trampled under the horses but Aaron managed to spear one threw the throat. He drew his sword and started to slash at them when an arrow hit his horse in the neck. Before he knew what was happening the horse was tumbling under him and he was flying threw the air. He landed on his back and cried out in both pain and surprise. He struggled up and looked around him. All the orcs near him were dead from being trampled and the riders that had managed to stay on their horses were far ahead of him now.  
He picked up his sword from where it had landed on the ground and ran towards the battle. He arrived at the same moment the huge Oliphaunt's arrived. He stared up at them in shock and watched as good riders got crushed beneath their feet. Their were still orcs around so the soldiers who and lost their steeds were taking them out and Aaron joined them. As he was killing one another crept up behind him and brought it's sword down into his unprotected thigh. Aaron screamed and just managed to kill the orc before it killed him.  
He looked down at his thigh and noted that his leggings were changing from brown to red very quickly. He tore a strip of cloth from his cloak and tied it tightly around the wound, hissing at the pain before he faced the orcs again. This time he got a shock. an oliphaunt was heading right for him, but Legolas the elf was suddenly there and single handily took out the oliphaunt. Aaron was incredibly impressed. Looking around him he saw the army of the dead swarming around him, killing the orcs in their path.  
"That still only count's as one!" Aaron heard Gimli, the Dwarf shout at Legolas who just smirked. It looked like the battle was over at last as the army of the dead was finishing it for them. Aaron weakly fell to his knees and put a hand over his thigh. The strip of cloth he'd put over it was stained red and he was becoming light headed. Just as he collapsed into blackness he heard someone's footstep's getting closer and then he saw Aragorn's face, just before all went dark.  
  
When he woke he was in a bed, which was strange and there was someone sitting the chair by his bed. But the person was actually talking the person in the next bed and when Aaron looked around the person he saw it was the Lady Éowyn with her arm in a sling. He looked the other way and saw a man he didn't know and the other hobbit Merry on the next 2 beds, with Pippin sat next to Merry on the bed. His thigh was bandaged thickly as was his cheast for some reason.  
"Ah your awake, come now, have a drink of water" a kind looking woman said to him, placing a mug to his lips. He sipped it gratefully as his throat was sore. All eyes were on him now, even the man he didn't know.  
"We need to ask you some question's young man" Éomer said.  
"Yes my lord?" Aaron asked, thinking he was about to be scolded for some reason.  
"How did you get the bruises on your back?" Éomer asked. Aaron looked up surprised, so that was why his back was bandaged and numb.  
"My horse was hit by an arrow and I was thrown from it" Aaron said, puzzled. the man he didn't know nodded in approval.  
"And the deep cut to your thigh?" Éowyn asked from her bed.  
"I was fighting and orc snuck up behind me" Aaron said.  
"How old are you boy?" the unknown man asked him.  
"14 My lord" Aaron said. 'Why does everyone always ask me that?'  
"Well your very lucky that the Lord Aragorn brought you in when he did, you'd have died otherwise" the kind looking woman said. Aaron looked at her, still slightly confused. He was about to speak when a messenger arrived.  
"My Lord Éomer, Lord Aragorn request's your presence in the great hall" the messenger said. Éomer nodded and stood slightly, before bending down and kissing his sister's forehead before leaving the room.  
"Would you like something to eat?" the kind lady asked Aaron.  
"Yes please" Aaron said and the lady left to fetch him some. Pippin and Merry were talking quietly and Aaron realised that Éowyn and the unknown man were staring at each other and this made him feel incredibly awkward. His food was brought to him and he began to eat slowly when none other than Aragorn walked in and started going down the line of wounded soldiers, picking some out. He reached Aaron's bed and pointed at him.  
"Can you still fight?" Aragorn asked.  
"Hasn't he done enough?" Éowyn asked but Aaron nodded and got up, limping slightly. Merry and Pippin had also jumped up to help. They got dressed in their armour and went down to the armoury for weapons where they learned they were to be a diversion to draw the 'eye's' attention away from the ringbearer. Aaron walked with a slight limp as did many others and some had bandages around their arm's. They marched to the black gate and formed ranks. Aaron was quite near the back and couldn't properly hear or see what happened but he did see the black gates open and then they started charging.  
The odds were incredibly uneven as Aaron soon found himself up against 4 orcs at one time. He wasn't the best fighter in the world but he tried. He killed one but the other 3 managed to get him, one cut his cheek, another his shoulder and the last his leg again. Aaron growled and stabbed one threw the neck and kicked another, the last one although growled and sunk his teeth deep into Aaron's hand. Aaron screamed loudly and tried to get rid of the orc. Luckily someone nearby stabbed the orc which fell to the ground, releasing Aaron's hand.  
What happened next was amazing. The tower with the creepy eye on the top collapsed and the volcano erupted. But the most amazing thing was that the ground under the orcs fell away but the ground they were stood on survived. Aaron stared at the men around him before looking at his hand and the bleeding teeth marks. He looked up slowly before he collapsed yet again from blood loss.  
  
He woke once again in a bed but this time there were no other occupied beds near him and Éowyn was stood by the window with the still unknown man. What suprised Aaron most was that they suddenly kissed. Aaron blushed and looked towards the door before coughing. The couple jumped apart and moved over to him. Aaron only just registered the amount of pain he was in then. His hand was bandaged and throbbing, his cheast was bandaged and also his back was throbbing, his cheek had a cloth laid on it and his legs and shoulder were bandaged and stinging.  
"Ow" he moaned. Éowyn smiled and lifted the cloth and looked at the cut. The man sat down by the bed and lifted a cup of water to his lips. "Thank you" he whispered, flinching as Éowyn re-applied the cloth.  
"Your quite the little warrior" Éowyn said, smiling at him.  
"Thank you my lady" Aaron said, lowering his gaze. "Are there many wounded?"  
"Yes, but most of them are in the other hall, this is for Lords only really" Éowyn said smiling.  
"I'm not a lord" Aaron said confused.  
"Ah, but Lord Aragorn insisted you stay in here because you are so young" the man said. Aaron nodded, just as the kind looking woman came in carrying bandages.  
"Ah you are awake! Has he been any trouble Lord Faramir, Lady Éowyn?" the Lady asked as she put the bandages down. So that's who he was.  
"No trouble at all, he's only just woken up" Faramir said.  
"Well I've got to change his bandages for clean ones as some of these are a bit stained" the lady said. She did the one's on his leg first, revealing stitched up wounds that would definitely scar. Then she got him to sit up and bandaged his back after spreading a polluce over the black bruises that Aaron couldn't actually see, which immediately made the pain go numb. Then she bandaged the stitched up shoulder wound. She wetted one of the clothes and cleaned the cut on his cheek, not too deep but also stitched before covering it with a fresh clean cloth. then she went to his hand. When she un-bandaged it, it revealed a swollen hand with puss in the small cuts. "It's become infected" she said sadly.  
Aaron looked at it and felt ill, tears welled in his eyes and he looked away from his hand. Éowyn rushed out to find a proper healer. The kind lady sighed and wetted another cloth before gently dabbing the hand. Éowyn returned with Éomer and Aragorn of all people who took one look at the hand and asked for a bowl of hot water and some herbs. He sat by Aaron and inspected the bite closely, prodding the swollen skin around the cut which caused Aaron to sob loudly and start crying. Éowyn put her good arm around him gently. The herbs and water arrived and Aragorn made up a mixture before feeding it to the sobbing boy. Aaron got very drowsy, so drowsy he didn't notice Aragorn adding certain herbs to the hot water before bathing his hand in it. He did however feel the burning pain all of a sudden and couldn't help but cry out. Éowyn tightened her hold around until Aragorn had finished and was bandaging the hand. Aaron closed his eyes against the pain and soon found himself drifting to sleep.  
  
Luckily the infection in his hand had gotten better so he was allowed to go with everyone else to the King's coronation ceremony. He stood net to Éowyn and Faramir, his shirt only half done up revealing the bandages on his cheast and the bandage on his stood out a bit. His cheek had no bandage so everyone could see the cut. When Aragorn passed him he bowed slightly, restrained by the pull the bruises on his back caused.  
The ceremony was long, but beautiful. Well it was beautiful, until the elves arrived and even with all the beauty around him Aaron thought they were the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. He wasn't the only one surprised when the new King wrapped one of them in his arm's and kissed her like she was a goddess.  
When they all knelt for the Hobbit's Aaron knew he would have trouble rising again but knelt anyway. When everyone rose and started about their own things, Aaron was stuck on the floor because of the multiple pains from his leg, back, shoulder and hand.  
"Stupid" he cursed himself as he tried to get up once again. He wasn't prepared when four small hands took hold of his upper arms and helped him up. He found himself looking gratefully and Merry and Pippin. "Thank you My Lords" he said, bowing slightly.  
"We're not your Lord's" Pippin said embarrassed before the 2 hobbit's left. Aaron had decided to remain in the Rider's, having been told he was allowed by Éomer but they were leaving for a few days. He was about to leave the top when a beautiful girl of his age caught his attention. He grinned to himself and walked over to introduce himself...  
  
A/N There you go, had to wait for the DVD to come out to right this one. Took me a while to figure out everything into the right order. 


End file.
